Timaru - Oamaru
80 km (50 miles)
Approximately 1 hour
Road Conditions: State Highway
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/library…+++++++++++++++++++++
Highfield Mews Motel
http://www.highfieldmews.co.nz/specials.…+++++++++++++++++++++
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Today’s Oamaru is a small well preserved historical city, ideal for strolling and shopping around in shops that bring you back to New Zealand as it was in grandmother’s time.
Anne Mieke’s guest house is a non smoking Bed and Breakfast a few minutes walk away from the blue penguin colony, the Historic Precinct, shopping streets, restaurants,Oamaru Information Centre and the Oamaru Gardens.
The best Oamaru restaurant stands at the historical building called "Criterion Historical Bar". Food prices were moderate and the chef tries out a fine new cuisine based on local New Zealand produce. The coffee was perfect!
The Historical Precinct is the best place to begin your exploration. Built from Oamaru stone, it now houses an assortment of businesses from antique shops and art galleries to restaurants and cafes. On Sunday’s there’s a market filled with interesting wares. At the end of the precinct is the Whisky Barrel House (
http://www.nzmaltwhisky.co.nz), offering a selection of New Zealand produced single malts and blends to sample and buy. For a true historic experience, rent a penny farthing or take a ride aboard a horse drawn carriage, all booked within the I-Site at the beginning of Thames St.
Once out of the historical precinct, within easy reach is the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony Visitor Centre
http://www.penguins.co.nz (03 433 1195), located by the harbour on Waterfront Rd underneath the cliff faces. It’s one of the best places to view the world’s smallest penguin. Here you’ll find the research centre, gift shop and tiered seating for 350 people. The penguins come ashore at dusk so contact the centre for specific times. No camera or filming equipment allowed and remember to take warm clothing as Oamaru can get quite chilly. There’s a $20 entrance fee for adults and $10 for children. Kids under 5 are free.
Around the corner of the headland are the Yellow Eyes Penguins on Bushy Beach. This can be reached a short drive from the Historic Precinct along Tyne St, which turns into Bushy Beach Rd; or alternatively, walking along the Graves Track from the Blue Penguin Colony. If taking the car, stop at the Lookout Point for the best place to get snaps of the seaside town. The walk takes half an hour and there are hides available for surreptitious viewing of the shy creatures once there. These are the worlds rarest penguins so worth the effort. Take binoculars if you’ve got some and go late for best viewing.
After much sightseeing, something of a different flavour seems the way. The Whitestone Cheese Factory 03 434 8098 (
http://www.whitestonecheese.co.nz) on the corner of Humber and Torridge Streets makes some of New Zealand’s most celebrated cheeses. Tasting and sales are handled within the café, which sells a selection of fine kiwi wine to compliment the cheeses. Self guided tours of the Make Room are available through the exterior viewing gallery. Fanatics might enjoy a talk with the cheese maker, so call ahead to make arrangements.
Take the coastal road from Oamaru for great scenic drive. Not far away are the enigmatic Moeraki Boulders (
http://www.moerakiboulders.com), huge spherical stones strewn along Koekohe Beach. Low tide is the best time to view them. Take SH1 south from Kakanui.
